Lavoro's Italian Restaurant Will Call it Quits June 22

When I opened my email Wednesday night, I reluctantly read my weekly letter from Lavoro's announcing the restaurant's closing on June 22. This wonderful Italian restaurant on the corner of Summer Avenue and Sycamore View has been serving heartfelt and delicious pizza and pasta for almost five years. In fact, I was so impressed with the restaurant that I wrote a review of Lavoro's published in Memphis magazine last September.

I am very sorry to see owner Mike Working calling it quits.

Here is an excerpt from Lavoro's email explaining the upcoming closing:

"Five years ago, we signed a five year, two month lease. What a five years it has been. We've shared birthdays, anniversaries, births, deaths, and so many nice moments with so many people that we did not even know five years ago. But our time as "the little restaurant that could" is almost up, and we would like you all to know that, barring some miracle, Lavoro's will be closing after dinner on Saturday June 22nd.

We have enjoyed our time serving and sharing meals with you all tremendously. We are quite proud of repeating as the headlining chefs at the ItalianFest. We are also quite proud of what so many of our former employees have gone on to be. Many are now professionals, college students, good fathers, mothers and daughters who still come in for a bite.

Even though the end is near, we have every intention of going out in style. First and foremost, Original chef Tom is back in the kitchen and the food is back to being as strong as it once was. Chef Tom and Chef Miguele make quite the creative duo, and they plan to make the most of their remaining time together in the kitchen. Expect specials to be offered every night and every day, just don't expect a daily email about them. Lavoro's will always have a lunch special or something different at dinner through the end of June.

Expect very traditional Italian fare this weekend, in tribute to grandmothers everywhere. Thanks for the memories, Memphis, and we look forward to going out with a bang."